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How do you know when someone gets to do something? Should there be complex systems for tracking whose turn it is, or should the GM just decide? What about combat? Once the dice start rolling, what’s the best way to give everyone a fair chance to … read more »
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about tropes that make villains incompetent. But villains are only half of the equation. Protagonists have plenty of tropes as well, which is why Clark sent us this question: I really liked the post on “Tropes that … read more »
As a literary agent at Trident Media Group, I see a plethora of science fiction and fantasy book ideas come across my desk, but only ideas that sell will make it to publication. Writers can find themselves in a stalemate when they’re writing more of … read more »
Everyone has to start somewhere, even GMs and even if that start is very embarrassing. This week, Sarah joins us to talk about the very first campaigns we ran, or at least the first campaigns we’ll admit to running. All of us learned important lessons … read more »
We all know about magic items so powerful they damage the plot. Take time turners and liquid luck potions from Harry Potter. Why not go back in time and stop Tom Riddle from ever becoming the Dark Lord? Why not take some liquid luck and destroy Voldemort … read more »
Running a game is hard. A GM has to not only manage the story but also the game’s participants. GMs are asked to guide everyone to a satisfactory ending while making it look like they are hands off. To keep everyone happy and on track, GMs need to … read more »
This is a whole new Jar Jar of worms right here. Read more »
Hitpoints and wound penalties cover a PC’s physical health, but what about their mental health? That’s what we’re talking about this week, to the cringe worthy “random insanity” of Call of Cthulhu, to the superb therapy rules of Eclipse Phase. We discuss the benefits that … read more »
Nearly everyone knows Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as the author of Sherlock Holmes, but the good detective wasn’t Doyle’s only creation. Doyle was a prolific author, penning many tales outside the Holmes universe, and today we’re looking at one of them: The Disintegration Machine. While … read more »
You have a character that’s made from oozing lava, and another that’s a rolling snowball. They’ll make a great lava-snow duo, but right now they won’t so much as say hi. Don’t worry, storytellers have many tried-and-true plot devices for bringing characters from different walks of life … read more »